1800-1819 | 1820-1839 | 1840-1859 | 1860-1879 | 1880-1899
1840-1859

1840: In Britain, first postage stamps are sold.
1841: Petzval of Austria builds an f/3.6 lens.
1841: The advertising agency is born.
1841: The first type-composing machine goes into use in London.
1842: Illustrated London News appears.
1842: Another use for paper: the Christmas card.
1842:
George Cruikshank's The New School of Portrait-Painting
1843: In the U.S., the photographic enlarger.
1843: Ada, Lady Lovelace publishes her Notes explaining a computer.
1844:
Daguerrotype of Samuel Morse
Morse's telegraph connects Washington and Baltimore.
1845: Postal reform bill lowers rates and regulates domestic and international service.
1845: English Channel cable.
1845: The typewriter ribbon.
1846: In Germany, Zeiss begins manufacturing lenses.
1846: Double cylinder rotary press produces 8,000 sheets an hour.
1847: A Philadelphia newspaper rolls off a rotary printing press.
1847: First use of telegraph as business tool.
1847: In England, Bakewell constructs a "copying telegraph."
1848: Forerunner of the Associated Press is founded in New York.
1849: The photographic slide.
1850: The paper bag arrives.
1851: In the U.S., paper is made from wood fiber.
1851: The Erie railroad depends on the telegraph.
1851: Cable is laid across the English Channel.
1851: Archer invents wet-plate photography process.
1851: In England, Talbot takes a flash photograph at 1/100,000 second exposure.
1851: Newspaper postage cut in half; free distribution within county.
1852: Postage stamps are widely used.
1853: Envelopes made by paper folding machine.
1854: Telegraph used in Crimean War.
1854: Wood pulp is added by paper makers.
1854: Bourseul in France builds an experimental telephone.
1854: Carte-de-visite process simplifies photography.
1854: Curved stereotype plate obviates column rules; wide ads soon.
1855: Printing telegraph invented in the U.S.
1855: Prepayment of letters made compulsory.
1855: Registered letters enter service.
1856: Poitevan starts photolithography.
1856: Blotting paper replaces sand boxes.
1856: Machine folds newspapers, paper for books.
1857: A machine to set type is demonstrated.
1857: In France, Scott's phonautograph is a forerunner of Edison's phonograph.
1858: Mail boxes appear on American streets.
1858: First effort at transatlantic telegraph service fails.
1858: Eraser is fitted to the end of a pencil.
1858: An aerial photograph is taken.
1859: Camera gets a wide-angled lens.

1800-1819 | 1820-1839 | 1840-1859 | 1860-1879 | 1880-1899